January 3 is known as the Festival of Sleep! Though this unofficial holiday’s origins are unknown, we all know how to celebrate it. Unlike other holidays that typically revolve around some sort of active celebration, today is all about doing nothing but resting. The holidays are over, and it’s time to get over the exhaustion they’ve left you with and get some much needed shut eye. Put on those comfy pajamas, cuddle up under the covers, and don’t worry about setting that alarm clock.

Though it seems a bit ironic, sleeping is an important part of living. Your brain and body need to shut off from the world for a while to retain longevity. While you sleep, your body repairs damaged cells, improves your concentration skills, and aides memory formation. Severe lack of sleep can have several negative effects on your health like increase in development of infections, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Getting the proper amount of sleep will help you to be more alert, reduce your risk of depression, and may even prevent cancer! In the time you spend sleeping, your brain sorts and stores information, solves problems, and replaces chemicals your body needs.

Missing out on sleep is sure to make anyone grumpy, but too much lost sleep can cause much worse side effects like hallucination. In severe cases, your body will stop taking direction from your brain altogether. Humans can live longer without food than they can without sleep!

Whether you’ve been traveling and need to get rid of that jet lag or need to rest up before you head back to school or work, there is no better day than today to catch up on those Z’s! A word from the wise though – if you’re already back at your job or in the classroom, you had better wait to get recharged until your next day off. We wouldn’t want you to wake up to an angry boss or teacher!

The origins of this holiday are unknown, but there is a Canadian Humiliation Day in July to bring attention to Canadian immigration laws banning the Chinese in the 1920s. We think this would be a perfect holiday for anti-bullying campaigns to grab hold of and spread awareness about.

Today is not a day to admit times you have been humiliated, nor is it a day to humiliate others. Today is a day to reflect on how your actions affect other people. Being humiliated or bullied can have traumatic and long-lasting effects on people and has been linked to low self-esteem, depression, and even suicide.

So, think twice before you humiliate someone for kicks today, or any day for that matter. It may also be a good day to make amends with someone you have humiliated in the past, because even though words can hurt, a simple “I’m sorry” could mean the world to someone.